You may be forgiven for thinking that the wildlife of Nairn consists of a couple of thousand seagulls, several dozen ducks and two swans!

But there's more, much more............

Monday, 1 June 2009

Woodpeckers

Picture will enlarge.

Spotted ;) today, two woodpeckers. Other reported sightings say that the pair, who may have a nest in the area, are being pestered by Hoodies (confirmation has been requested that this is Hoodies as in crows rather than Hoodies as in Neds!). Still what goes around, comes around as Woodpeckers have been known to take eggs from other birds nests such as tits or house martins.

If you are lucky enough to be in the right place at the right time you may hear the Woodpeckers drumming or pecking. If you hear quick bursts of loud drumming then they are communicating with other birds to attract a mate or warn off other Woodpeckers from their territory. Lighter drumming on trees means they are trying to find food by disturbing and locating insects or creating and constructing a nest site. Both male and females drum.

An important part of their habitat is dead trees and one of the main places where a Woodpecker could be seen in recent years was in an area amongst Elm trees which had succumbed to Dutch Elm disease. With the removal of these trees from this area it was feared that the Woodpeckers would vanish but it’s good to know they are still in the vicinity.